The invention relates generally to mailers for shipping objects and more particularly to mailers having an air cellular cushion liner.
Consumers frequently purchase goods from mail order or internet retailers. According to Gartner, a leading provider of research and analysis on the global IT industry, e-commerce transactions in 2004 will hit $60 billion in the U.S. alone, the highest total ever. As a result, millions of packages are being shipped each day.
Many of these packages include small items such as pharmaceuticals, books, medical supplies, electronic parts, and the like. These items are normally packaged in small containers such as a box or envelope. To protect the items during shipment, they are typically packaged with some form of protective dunnage that may be wrapped around the item or stuffed into the container to prevent movement of the item and to protect against shock.
One common packaging method uses corrugated boxes to hold the items to be shipped. The void spaces between the items and the inside walls of the box are filled with void-filling dunnage such as foam “peanuts,” air cellular cushioning materials, crumpled or shredded paper, and other air filled packaging materials. Typically, the corrugated boxes are supplied to the shipper in a collapsed condition so that the boxes occupy less space. Each box must then be erected and taped before use by the shipper which may result in additional labor costs for shipping. The shipper typically maintains a supply of collapsed boxes for subsequent use.
The void-filling dunnage must also be delivered to the shipper. The shipper normally warehouses a supply of dunnage for future use. Conventional dunnage materials such as air cellular material or “peanuts” are comprised mostly of air. Shipping costs associated with these packaging materials are generally based on volume rather than weight, resulting in increased transportation costs. Paper dunnage is more economical to ship, but requires additional labor to make it useable as dunnage. As a result, these dunnage materials can increase costs that are associated with shipping items.
Another type of common shipping method includes the use of a padded mailer. Padded mailers are generally shipping envelopes that have padded walls to protect the contents of the mailer. Some padded mailers are constructed of a double wall envelope with paper dunnage between the walls. These mailers are generally made with paper envelopes. Another type of mailer has air cellular material lining the inside surfaces of the envelope. These envelopes can be made of paper or plastic such as Tyvek®. Similar to “peanuts” and air cellular materials, these padded mailers are typically comprised mostly of air. They are normally expensive to deliver to the shipper, and require a large storage space. The padded mailers are typically limited to relatively thin padding so that their size is both practical and economic. As a result, the protective capabilities of the padded envelopes may be limited.
In a method similar to the padded mailer, the item may be wrapped in air cellular material and then inserted into a shipping envelope. This method requires the purchase and storage of both a shipping envelope and a supply of air cellular material.
Additional methods of providing protective dunnage include the use of polyurethane foam cushions and air cushions that are prepared on-site. These methods typically require the use of more expensive equipment and additional space to locate the equipment near the point of packaging.
Thus, there exists a need for providing a shipping container for the shipment of small items that requires less storage space and is economical.